Arm-rest for books



(No Model.)

A J SOTO ARM BEST FOR BOOKS.

No. 571,936. PatentedNov. 24, 1896.

I ,4 3 W 1 xix Z I Z d Z Z 1/- 1 li I Wi/Umme/s.

UNITED STATES ABELARDO J. SOTO, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

MARTINEZ, CALIFORNIA.

ARM-REST FOR BOOKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 571,936, dated November 24, 1896.

Application filed M y 29, 1896.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, ABELARDO J. Soro, a citizen of the United States, residing at Martinez, in the county of Contra Costa and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Arm Rests or Supports for Books; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to a certain new and useful arm support or rest for books, which consists in the arrangement of parts and details of construction as will be hereinafter fully set forth in the drawings and described and pointed out in the specification.

The invention is designed more especially for use by bookkeepers in connection with the ledger-book or such other books as require constant work thereon, as, for instance, record-books of all kinds; and the invention has for its object the providing of an arm rest or support, the arm of which will automatically adjust itself to the varying thickness of the book, and one in which the arm board or plate may be shifted or adjusted longitudinally as desired, or be swung from one side of the book to the other in order that the operator may work upon either side of the book Without being required to disturb the position of the rest or support.

In order to fully understand my invention, reference must be had to the accompanying sheet of drawings, forming a part of this application, wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of an open book, showing the arm rest or support in position. Fig. 2 is an end view of the arm rest or support with the arm plate or board at a right angle, and Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View of the device.

In the drawings, the letters A A are used to indicate the supporting-arms of the device, the enlarged end a of each arm being movably secured by hinges a, or otherwise to the under face of the base plate or block A To the upper face of the base plate or block A is secured, by the projecting stud b, the

arm board or plate B. This board or plate is provided with the central longitudinal groove 13, through which the stud 12 extends, Figs. 1 and 3. The upper edgesof the lon- Serial No. 593,533. (No model.)

gitudinal groove B are beveled in order that the head of the stub 19 will fit within the groove and come flush with the face of the board or plate B, so as not to interfere with the arm of the user of the device, which it would do should the head of the stud project above the face of the board or plate B. Inasmuch as the stud b extends through the longitudinal groove, it is obvious that the board or plate may be shifted back and forth as desired. This is an important feature, and it permits the operator to have the full support to the arm when writing or making entries at the extreme inner and outer edges of the leaves of the book.

By reference to Fig. 1 of the drawings it will be noticed that one end of the board or tance from the end 1 of the longitudinal groove B to the extreme point of the rounded end of the board or plate is the same as that from the stud b to the inner edge of the base plate or block A Consequently when the device is in position shown in Fig. 1 and it is desired to swing the board or plate'from one side of the book to the opposite side the operator first moves or slides the board or plate outward its full distance and then turns or swings the same to either side desired.

hen the device is in position within the book, the arm or member A should rest upon the inner face of the front cover 2 of the book O and the arm or member A upon the inner face of the back cover 3 of the book, Fig. 1 Inasmuch as the arms or members A A are hinged to the center plate or block A the said arms give so as to conform to the inclination of the book as the leaves are turned over, Fig. 2. Consequently it is not necessary to change the position of the device as the leaves of the book accumulate at one side, for the board or plate B will rise as the thickness of the book is increased to one side or the other. In order thatthe outer end of the board or plate B may be firmly supported whileworking upon a book with the greater part of the leaves upon the side to be worked upon, there is secured to the said end portion of the board or plate by clips 4: the slide 0. This slide works crosswise of the board or plate B and when moved either way a portion thereof will plate B is made rounding and that the dis-- project over the edge of the said board or plate, so as to rest upon the lower corner of the pile of leaves.

The slide is provided with the slots d, through which the pins (P, which connect the clips to the arm plate or board, extend. These pins limit the movement of the slide, being engaged by the metal at each end of the slots d after the slide has been moved a given distance.

To the under face of the base plate or block A is secured the button d, Fig. 3. This button, when turned at a right angle to the baseplate, moves beneath the arms or members A A, so as to hold the same rigid. This is desirable when the books worked upon require considerable time to be expended on given pages. IVhen locked by the button d, the arms or members A A will not give to the book as the leaves are turned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure protection in by Letters Patent, is

1. In an arm-rest for bookkeepers, the combination of folding supporting-arms adapted to fit within a book and conform to the position of thesame, and an arm-plate supported by said folding arms.

2. In an arm rest or support for bookkeepin g or similar purposes, the combination with the hinged or movable arms or members which fit within the book, of the horizontally-movable arm plate or board.

3. The combination of the supporting-arms, and a horizontal arm-plate carried thereby and adapted to swing horizontally from side to side.

4:. In an arm rest or support for bookkeeping or similar purposes, the combination with the supporting arms or members, of the arm plate or board pivotally connected to said arms and adapted to slide on its pivot.

5. In an arm rest or support for bookkeeping or similarpurposes, the combination with the base plate or block, of the supporting arms or members movably connected thereto, of the arm plate or board having a horizontal groove cut therein, and a stud extending through said groove and securing the said plate or board to the base plate or block.

6. In an arm rest or support for bookkeeping or similar purposes, the combination with the supporting arms or members, of the horizontally-movable and rotatable arm plate or board, and of the slide-plate secured to one end of the arm plate or board.

7. In an arm rest or support for bookkeeping or similar purposes, the combination with the base plate or block, of the supporting arms or members movably secured thereto, the arm plate or board connected to said base plate or block so as to have free horizontal movement and be free toswing from one side of the book to the other, and of the button secured to the under face of the base plate or block.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses, this 18th day of May, 1896.

ABELARDO J. SOTO.

\Vitnesses H. O. RAAP, H. T. J ONES. 

